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Foot-pounds

See lb-ft.

Foot-pounds (ft-lb)

An English measure for torque.

Footprint

1. The portion of the contact area of a loaded tire with the ground. 2. The bolt pattern of a device.

Footprint

The size of a tire contact patch on the ground. A wider tire will have a bigger footprint, which makes for quicker acceleration and better turning control, as well as shorter stopping distances.

Footwell

The area for passengers' feet in a vehicle.

Footwell

The area where a driver's or passenger's feet go.

Force

Any push or pull exerted on an object.

Force Fit

A term used for press fit.

Forced Induction

An intake system that provides a means for the air/fuel mixture to enter the combustion chamber at greater than atmospheric pressure.

Forced Induction

Ordinarily, air flows into an engine at a rate that is equal to or less than atmospheric pressure (usually less than atmospheric pressure, due to restrictions in the intake system). Forced induction literally forces air into an engine at a greater rate, which allows the engine to burn more fuel and create more power. A supercharger or turbocharger typically is used to provide forced induction.

Fordor

An early designation for a Ford four-door vehicle.

Forge

To form metal into a desired shape.

Forged

A metal component (usually steel or aluminum) that starts out as a solid piece of billet and is placed in a die and stamped into its basic form. This is in contrast to a cast piece, which is made by pouring molten metal into a mold. Forged pieces have a much denser molecular structure than their cast counterparts--meaning they are much stronger--so forgings are preferred for more serious performance applications. Examples of forged components include pistons and crankshafts.

Forging Flash

Remnants of metal on a forged part, usually that which is squeezed out of a mold.

Fork Lift

A power-driven truck or tractor that carries pallets or platform-loaded cargo on forks ahead of the machine.

Fork Truck

A term used for fork lift.

Fork-mount Bike Rack

A rack that requires you to remove a bike's front wheel. As opposed to an upright bike rack.

Forked Eight

A V-8 engine.

Forked Six

A V-6 engine.

Format

To prepare a storage medium, usually a disk or hard drive for reading and writing.